Today's Moment of Collector Zen...

Just a reminder - everything shown here that I own is legal to own, Federal, State, and Local, where I live.

That may not be true in your particular Borg Collective. Don't have a hissy fit just because my overlords trust me to behave and yours don't.

That's your problem.

If you don't like it... move. Or get new overlords by tossing out the sanctimonious know-it-alls that hold high office in your area.

But don't whinge at me.

If you had been motoring up to the Castle yesterday, it would have looked pretty normal. First Union and Gadsden flags aloft, the current historical flags whipping from the trucks. But something would have looked different.

A Maxim M1910 to be precise. On the wheeled Sokolov mount with shield. Later model shield, no provision for the long-range sight. With several ammo cans, water can, and some other stuff over by the rock. That's a Finnish belt of dummy 7.62x54R in the feedblock. It was time to pull some long overdue maintenance on Max and his associated kit, and I decided to do it in the nice morning air, since the temps are now unseasonably cool (meaning very nice) and Max could use some air and sunshine. You know how those Russians and Finns are about sunlight...

Looks like Max started out a Czarist soldier in 1914. Perhaps long-time reader/commenter and Soviet emigre Baroness Ophelia Kensington-Gore can tell us what the rest of the markings mean.This is the fusee spring cover, and should have a serial number. The covers were prone to damage and easily replaced. All we really know is the fusee cover was made during the reign of Big Nicky the Second. The star marking on the serial numbered piece indicates a Soviet era part. This gun was likely captured by the Finns during the Winter War or the Continuation War, and turned against its orignal operators.

One of those ammo cans pictured earlier was holding out. More accurately, holding these. Oil and solvent cans, and some extra tongs for clearing jams.

The solvent and oil cans are shaped to fit the contours of the ammo box. As the little oil can is intended to be kept out and available when firing the gun, it has a flat bottom.

Sigh! would that it were functional! The Armorer is one of the people I trust to keep a functioning belt-fed machine gun. Without an ammo assembly line, I am afraid the cost of shooting it might be prohibitive.

I should note that SWWBO bought the gun and mount. I sourced the shield, cans, belts, gunners kits, spare barrels, rangefinder and such on my own, taking several years to do so. The most recent part of the Maxim kit is the soviet ammo can with copper-washed steel ammo. Interesting markings on the can, although I have zip nada zilch idea what information they convey.

Okay, I'll give you your neener-neener. You have cool toys and a way-awesome wife. HOWEVER! I got to spend the weekend with Boq and Fishmugger and Instapinch, assaulting the next village in our tanks, and blowing things up with mortars, and firing the turret guns, and, and.... okay, so only part of this is true. But we had a blast. Literally.

Okay, I'll give you your neener-neener. You have cool toys and a way-awesome wife. HOWEVER! I got to spend the weekend with Boq and Fishmugger and Instapinch and the Baroness, assaulting the next village in our tanks, and blowing things up with mortars, and firing the turret guns, and, and.... okay, so only part of this is true. But we had a blast. Literally.

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